Mudcats Lose Series Finale 7-4 in Salem

SALEM, VA - Salem's Jerry Downs went 2-for-4 with a run and a three-run home run in the fifth while leading the Red Sox to a series tying 7-4 victory versus the Mudcats on Monday night at Haley Toyota Field in Salem.

The Red Sox (55-62, 23-26) struck first in Monday's series finale after getting a run on a couple of hits in the opening frame against starter Alec Bettinger. Those two hits consisted of a lead-off double from Tyler Hill and a run scoring single from C.J. Chatham. 
Salem had a 1-0 lead through the second before rallying for three runs and five hits in the third while taking a 4-0 lead. The third began with a single from Jagger Rusconi and a one-out single from Tyler Hill before Brett Netzer, Chatham and Downs all chipped in with run scoring hits.
Carolina (57-61, 23-25) scored its first run of the game in the fourth and managed to cut the lead down to 4-1 after Cooper Hummel walked and scored on a triple from Ryan Aguilar. The triple was Aguilar's team leading eighth of the season and pulled him within one of the overall league lead for triples this season.
Salem's starter Kutter Crawford allowed the lone Carolina run in the fourth, but would end up allowing just the one run on four hits over five innings while earning the victory. Crawford (1-1, 3.27) also finished his victorious outing with seven strikeouts and two walks.
The one run fourth brought the Mudcats within three of the lead, but Downs changed that in a hurry as he crushed a three-run home run in the seventh while breaking the game open and knocking Bettinger out of the game. Downs' homer scored Hill and Chatham who had walked and singled to start the fifth and was his 13th of the season.
Bettinger left the game after seeing Salem go up 7-1 on the Downs home run and ended up suffering his third straight loss as Carolina fell short later in the game in its comeback bid. In all, Bettinger walked two, struck out two and allowed seven run on nine hits over four and 1/3 innings pitched.
Relievers Victor Diaz, Daniel Brown and Rodrigo Benoit all followed Bettinger and all three relievers combined to hold Salem scoreless the rest of the way. Diaz retired two straight to end the fifth and retired the side in order in the sixth. Brown worked through a scoreless seventh and Benoit scattered two hits while striking out one in a scoreless eighth.
With the bullpen quieting the Red Sox offense, the Carolina bats would go on to rally for three runs in the seventh while cutting the lead down to 7-4. The seventh began with Red Sox reliever Hunter Smith walking Nathan Rodriguez before then giving up a hit to Trever Morrison. Devin Hairston then followed with a run scoring double to make it 7-2. Rob Henry then brought in one with a RBI groundout to make it 7-3 and a sacrifice fly from Dallas Carroll brought in one more cutting the lead down to 7-4.
Smith would eventually be pulled for Yankory Pimentel who went on to blank the Mudcats over the rest of the seventh and through the eighth. Durbin Feltman then pitched the ninth and struck out the side to end the game while earning his first save of the season.
Carolina ended up losing Monday's series finale and finished with a 2-2 tie in the four game set in Salem. Monday's game was the final regular season game between the two teams, and Carolina ended up winning the overall match-up six games to five. 
Their seven game road trip will continue with game one of a three game series in Kinston versus the Down East Wood Ducks on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and via TuneIn Radio at carolinamudcats.com.
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